2 men died after shooting each other, police say

Men had pre-existing dispute, then happened to meet on Danforth Avenue

Shawn Chestnut-Reddick, left, and Jonathan Stefan Khan, who knew each other, happened to meet on a Toronto street last month in what turned out to be a fatal gun battle. (Courtesy of Toronto Police Service)

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A "chance meeting" between two men on Danforth Avenue last month ended in them gunning each other down, Toronto police said today.

On March 14, just before 9 p.m. ET, police who responded to reports of gunshots found two men on the sidewalk outside the Mediterranean Social Club at 2215 Danforth Ave., east of Woodbine.

Both men had gunshot wounds and later died in hospital.

Police identified the victims, both from Toronto, as:

Jonathan Stefan Khan, 21.

Shawn Chestnut-Reddick, 22.

At a news conference Wednesday, police said both men knew each other, had a "pre-existing conflict," and met by chance on the night of the shooting. There was a "physical altercation," and both men drew their weapons and then fatally shot each other.

Chestnut-Reddick suffered three gunshot wounds and Khan had seven. No one else was injured.

"They seem to go in the same social circles," said Toronto police Det. Shawn Mahoney. "They would have been in the same friend group."

Police located one firearm at the scene under Khan. The other firearm was taken from the scene by a third party and has not yet been recovered.

Police are investigating the removal of that weapon separately, but Mahoney says the homicide investigation into the two men's deaths is now closed.

The death of the two men, who were known to police, marked the 14th and 15th homicides of the year in the city.

Police say residents in the community, including some who provided security camera footage, helped investigators solve the case.

"We had a number of people come forward and provide crucial information. It was an excellent response from people in that area," said Mahoney.